Last spring senators promised to review their attendance rules. That was another big promise. Yet this has not stopped 19 members of that hallowed hall of shame from missing over one-quarter of the sittings in 2011-12, not to mention all of those whose expenses are currently under scrutiny. Pamela Wallin is the most recent addition to the list.

She spent over $25,000 on “other travel” during the quarter in which the last federal election was held.

I do not know what she was doing there. She was never elected or re-elected. So what was she doing with taxpayers' money?

Mr. Speaker, NDP members do seem to like to tar with a broad brush a wide number of good people, including Senator Wallin, and they are doing so using what they say is a non-partisan person.

We heard in an earlier statement by the member for Burnaby—New Westminster a reference to a professor and a call for his resignation. That professor, Mr. Leeson, is actually a former staff member of two NDP premiers and is currently on board the team Trent leadership campaign for the NDP. Not only is he not a non-partisan official, he is not even non-partisan within the NDP.

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how much time the member for Timmins—James Bay spends in Toronto, but I do know that Senator Wallin spent 168 days last year in the province of Saskatchewan, which she represents. The costs that are in question are related to her travel from Ottawa to Saskatchewan. As members know, we expect parliamentarians to maintain a residence in their home region and in Ottawa. That is exactly what Senator Wallin has done.

Mr. Speaker, if it were all tickety-boo, they would not be doing an expense audit on her now would they?

First the Conservatives said there was no audit, but then the media found out that there was. We also found out that last year, during the Conservative election, Senator Wallin racked up $25,000 in “other travel”. Was she stumping for the Conservative election machine and then using the Senate to stick the bill to the taxpayer? That is just not right; not when they are telling average Canadians that the cupboard is bare.

What steps will the Conservatives take to get taxpayers' money back from their cronies in the Senate?

Mr. Speaker, we have been quite clear for quite some time that we have asked the Standing Senate Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration to ensure that the Senate's policies are being followed, are being adhered to, and corrective being taken if they are not. That is exactly why reviews have been taking place. It is because we asked for these reviews to take place, because we want to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are protected.

We want to ensure that when Senator Wallin is in Saskatchewan 168 days a year that she is there, and that is exactly the case, doing her work and representing the people in the community she has been sent to Ottawa to represent.

Mr. Speaker, last year the Conservatives voted for an NDP motion to clamp down on fraudulent calls. The motion called for more power to the Chief Electoral officer. That motion also said that legislation would be introduced in six months. However, here we are 11 months later, and while they drag their heels on making the law stronger, Conservatives are making thousands of deceitful robocalls. Is that why the government has delayed amending the Elections Act?

Mr. Speaker, as promised, we are looking at some reforms to our elections laws and they will be put forward in due course.

However, while we are talking about the laws, Canadians expect political parties to follow the law, unlike the NDP that took hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations from its big union bosses. Canadians expect political parties to follow those laws.

Mr. Speaker, recently officials were evasive when I asked how they were accounting for inflation in the shipbuilding contract. Now we learn that their assumed inflation rate is 2.7% versus an industry rate between 7% and 11%. This huge inflation gap shows gross financial incompetence by the government and would add at least $14 billion, or 56%, to the total cost of the ships.

Does this mean that we will get way fewer ships, a massive budget overrun, or both?

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance misled the House when he said that budget cuts will only affect “back-office operations” of the federal government. The Parliamentary Budget Officer exposed this Conservative conceit.

The Conservatives have cut search and rescue, food safety and pensions. Canadians trying to reach the federal government cannot get through and have to spend hours waiting on a phone line. In the meantime, the Conservatives spend recklessly on advertising and limos and waste billions on botched procurement.

Why do Canadians have to pay the price for Conservative financial incompetence?

Tony ClementPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the hon. member. I invite her to read the public accounts that are tabled before the chamber. I invite her to read the government estimates that are tabled from time to time and with regularity. They will indeed confirm that our budget is concentrated on reducing overhead and back office operations. That is what we promised the people of Canada. That is what we delivered on because we believe in growth, jobs and opportunity.